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Pesticide & Fertilizer Use on Cannabis

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Pesticide and Fertilizer Use for the Production of Cannabis


WSDA is responsible for enforcing pesticide laws on cannabis crops in Washington State. WSDA has developed a list of pesticides [PDF 220kB] that meet WSDA Criteria [PDF 120kB] for use in cannabis production to assist growers authorized by I-502 or I-692. Inclusion on the list is not an endorsement or a recommendation regarding the use of any specific pesticide for cannabis production in Washington. The list has been provided to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) and the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and will be updated by WSDA as needed. For general questions about the list, or to request that a product be reviewed for inclusion on the list, please email Laurel.Schmalz@agr.wa.gov. Please include the product brand name, registration number, and company name in your request.

 

Pesticide Information Center OnLine (PICOL)

The Washington State University (WSU) maintains the Pesticide Information Center OnLine (PICOL), a searchable list of registered pesticides in Washington State. For database tutorials or questions refer to:


 

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Worker Protection Standard


The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) aims to protect agricultural employees from pesticides and their residues. WSDA has developed the Worker Protection Standard Requirement for Cannabis Growers guidance document to help cannabis growers understand and comply with WPS requirements. The regulation requires agricultural employers and cannabis growers to:
  • Notify their employees when and where pesticide applications occur.
  • Ensure that employees have received training specific to their potential exposure to pesticides.
  • Provide adequate protective equipment and decontamination facilities to employees exposed to pesticides.
  • Monitor employees using highly toxic (Category I) pesticides.
  • Facilitate medical treatment for any employee who exhibits signs of a pesticide poisoning.


Options for Training Workers

If the pesticide label you are applying includes "Agricultural Use Requirements", workers must be trained on the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) requirements. There are three options for training workers on WPS requirements:

Pesticide Compliance

WSDA enforces pesticide laws and pesticide use on cannabis crops in Washington State. Visit the Pesticide Compliance Program homepage for more information about pesticide application, storage, and laws.

Waste Pesticide Disposal

The goal of this program is to properly dispose of unused or unusable pesticides to prevent human and animal exposure, prevent the use of cancelled pesticides on crops, and eliminate the potential source of contamination to the environment.  

Fertilizers


Cannabis growers authorized by I-502 or I-692 who use commercial fertilizers for the production of cannabis in Washington can use any fertilizer that is registered by WSDA. If the fertilizer product also contains a pesticide, the pesticide must be allowed for use on cannabis.

Chemigation and Fertigation

Chemigation is the use of an irrigation system to apply a pesticide or a system maintenance compound. Fertigation is the use of an irrigation system to apply commercial fertilizer, soil amendments, or reclaimed water from food processing and wastewater treatment facilities. For additional questions or technical assistance refer to the Cannabis Production - Chemigation and Fertigation Practices Bulletin.

Additional Resources

Contact

Laurel Schmalz
Laurel.Schmalz@agr.wa.gov